25 Breweries to Watch in 2013

2012 was yet another banner year for craft beer in the U.S.—as the Brewers’ Association reported recently, the industry now represents 6.5% of the U.S. beer market (up from 5.7% the previous year), and there are currently more than 2,347 craft breweries operating across the country. This growth is worth celebrating, but it also causes challenges for consumers trying to sort through the endless options at the bottle shop and bar to pick something that’s really worth drinking. To play the game well and avoid the scourge of declining quality, you’ve got to do your research.

Previously, we’ve picked the the best beer in every single state, as well as whole slew of American IPAs that you should have on your bucket list. But there’s no doubt that part of the fun of following the craft-brew revolution is discovering new suds to sample, and up-and-coming breweries to champion. While the big dogs like Sierra Nevada and Dogfish head keep turning out great stuff, these are the lesser-known outfits that are shaking things up across from coast-to-coast with game-changing wild-ale programs, pedigreed barrel-aging experiments, and much more. Some have major expansion plans in the works, while others are focused on putting their state or city on the beer-nerd map—all are worth investigating no matter how you get your hands on their wares.

Got a local favorite that we missed? Let us know in the comments. Cheers!

2012 was yet another banner year for craft beer in the U.S.—as the Brewers' Association reported recently, the industry now represents 6.5% of the U.S. beer market (up from 5.7% the previous year), and there are currently more than 2,347 craft breweries operating across the country. This growth is worth celebrating, but it also causes challenges for consumers trying to sort through the endless options at the bottle shop and bar to pick something that's really worth drinking. To play the game well and avoid the scourge of declining quality, you've got to do your research.
Previously, we've picked the the best beer in every single state, as well as whole slew of American IPAs that you should have on your bucket list. But there's no doubt that part of the fun of following the craft-brew revolution is discovering new suds to sample, and up-and-coming breweries to champion. While the big dogs like Sierra Nevada and Dogfish head keep turning out great stuff, these are the lesser-known outfits that are shaking things up across from coast-to-coast with game-changing wild-ale programs, pedigreed barrel-aging experiments, and much more. Some have major expansion plans in the works, while others are focused on putting their state or city on the beer-nerd map—all are worth investigating no matter how you get your hands on their wares.
Got a local favorite that we missed? Let us know in the comments. Cheers!
Written by Joshua M. Bernstein (@JoshMBernstein), Chris O'Leary (@brew_york), Ale Sharpton (@AleSharpton), Chris Schonberger (@cschonberger), and Erin Mosbaugh (@JayBlague)

Wicked Weed Brewing

Location: Asheville, NC
Founded: 2012
Website:wickedweedbrewing.com
Poking fun at King Henry VIII’s claim that hops were a “pernicious and wicked weed,” the Asheville brewpub uses the flowers to make some of the South’s finest bitter beers—namely, the earthy, citrusy Zealot and Hop Burglar, which contains blood-orange purée and grapefruit zest. The region’s agricultural bounty also informs Wicked’s experimental ales, such as a saisons made with grits, peaches, apricots, or honeydew melons. Keep on the lookout for oak-aged releases like Wild Abbey, a Belgian dubbel dosed with Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus, and aged in wine barrels.—Josh BernsteinTry this: The Freak, a marijuana-stinky double IPA in the West Coast tradition.

Perennial Artisan Ales

Location: St. Louis, MO
Founded: 2011
Website:perennialbeer.com
Former Goose Island brewer Phil Wymore moved from Chicago to St. Louis to open Perennial, which traffics in a range of Belgian-inspired beers (hop-forward Hommel Bier pale ale, Saison de Lis flavored with chamomile). Additionally, Wymore has a deft touch with high-alcohol sippers, such as the minty Perennial 17 chocolate stout and the barrel-aged Sump coffee stout, as well as fruit-forward sour ales such as the Blueberry Flanders and the Peach Berliner Weisse. When the barrel-aging program really hits its stride, expect Perennial to be regarded as one of the Midwest’s best, most inventive breweries.—Josh BernsteinTry this: Heart of Gold, a warming, caramel-nuanced wheat wine packing plenty of America hops.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

Location: Denver, CO
Founded: 2011
Website:crookedstave.com
Colorado’s Chad Yakobson was so obsessed with Brettanomyces that it became the subject of his Masters dissertation. Now, he’s turned his research into a brewery specializing in beers fully fermented with unique, assiduously sourced strains of wild yeast. The ingenious releases include the Wild Wild Brett Series that replicates the colors of the rainbow (red is made with hibiscus and rose hips, yellow is spiced with turmeric and mangos) and limited-edition ales such as Blackberry Petite Sour and Sentience, a potent Belgian quadrupel aged in bourbon barrels. Put simply, Yakobson is expanding drinkers’ perceptions of what’s possible with Brettanomyces.—Josh BernsteinTry this: Surette, a tart, oak-aged saison of the sort once found in the early 20th century.

Firestone Walker Barrelworks

Location: Buellton, CA
Founded: 2013
Website: firstonebeer.com/barrelworks
Over the last decade, California’s Firestone Walker has blossomed into one of the country’s most multifaceted breweries, cranking out medal-winning pale ales, IPAs, and imperial stouts with equal aplomb. Recently, Firestone’s barrel-aging program has garnered boatloads of buzz, spurring the brewery to open this chandelier-lit “cathedral of barrels”—a 7,000-square-foot tasting room filled with nearly 1,500 wooden casks containing sour, funky, and strong ales that are on tap in the tasting room. Firestone is poised to become one of the country’s preeminent producers of barrel-aged beers.—Josh BernsteinTry this: §ucaba, a brawny, barrel-aged barley wine redolent of dark chocolate, vanilla, oak, and cherries.

Jester King Craft Brewery

Location: Austin, Texas
Founded: 2011
Website:jesterkingbrewery.com
Outside of longnecks of Lone Star and Shiner Bock, Texas has never been known as a hotbed of craft beer. That changed with the arrival of the Austin area’s Jester King, which brews and ferments some of America’s most intriguing farmhouse ales. From the hoppy, low-alcohol Le Petit Prince table beer (just 2.9% ABV) to the floral, peppery Black Metal imperial stout and citrusy and sour Bonnie the Rare Berliner Weisse, the brewery consistently bucks expectations of Texas beer. More intriguingly, Jester King is dabbling in wild ales fermented with yeast harvested from the surrounding Hill Country.—Josh BernsteinTry this: Das Wunderkind! Saison, which is a blend of fresh dry-hopped beer and oak-aged beer fermented with wild yeast and souring bacteria.

Thai Me Up

Location: Jackson Hole, WY
Founded: 2000
Website:thaijh.com
At Denver’s Great American Beer Festival, which is sort of the Super Bowl of U.S. brewing, the most hotly contested category is IPAs. So imagine folks’ surprise when Thai Me Up—a pipsqueak Wyoming brewpub founded by a ski bum—nabbed gold medals for its IPA and imperial IPA. Credit goes to brewer Kirk McKale, who previously toiled at Carlsbad, CA’s lauded Pizza Port. In addition to killer West Coast IPAs such as the rye-infused Johnny Ryeale (catch the Beastie Boys reference?) and all-Amarillo Hop Snack, Thai Me Up turns out tasty brown ales and stouts too. This might be America’s finest après-ski brewpub. With the success of its IPAs, it may well become more than that soon.—Josh BernsteinTry this: Melvin, a pitch-perfect California IPA crammed with loads of citrus.

Prairie Artisan Ales

Location: Krebs, OK
Founded: 2012
Website:prarieales.com
Run by brothers Colin and Chase Healey, the Oklahoma-based gypsy brewery (they’re crafted at Krebs Brewing Company) has made national waves with its collection of complex, bottle-conditioned Belgian saisons, such as the hoppy Prairie Standard and the dry, tropical Prairie Hop. While wild yeasts and bacteria are deftly deployed in beers such as the dry, bubbly Prairie Gold, the brothers also dabble in aging beers in wood—the Prairie Noir imperial oatmeal stout takes a slumber in bourbon barrels. Take note of their interest in oak: a recently funded Kickstarter drive will allow Prairie to open a facility specializing in wood-aged beers.
Try this: Prairie Ale, a saison brewed with spicy Saaz hops and fermented with ale, wine, and Brettanomyces yeasts.

Breakside Brewing

Location: Portland, OR
Founded: 2010
Website:breakside.com
In a city chockablock with excellent breweries, it can be tough to separate yourself from the sudsy pack. Breakside’s Ben Edmunds has done so with a series of offbeat projects, including a collection of cocktail-inspired beers (a Sazerac, a bramble, and a whiskey ginger) and chef-brewer collaborations like the French Fennel Farmhouse, which was made in conjunction with Le Pigeon’s Gabriel Rucker. This winter saw the nanobrewery expand into a full-fledged production brewery, with a taproom offering 24 taps of mad-scientist beers such as the Cedarbaumbier, made with foraged cedar tips, and the Coconut Pumpkin Sweet Stout.—Josh BernsteinTry this: Breakside Aztec, a warming “Mexican strong ale” made with chocolate and chiles.

Societe Brewing Co.

Location: San Diego, CA
Founded: 2012
Website:societebrewing.com
Bitter beers are a birthright on the West Coast, and few are doing them better than this upstart brewery turning out terrific hop bombs and Belgian-inspired elixirs. That’s no surprise, given the team’s bona fides: Respectively, Travis Smith and Doug Constantiner punched the clock at Russian River and the Bruery, two of the country’s finest hoppy, sour and Belgian-style specialists. While wine barrel–aged sour ales are slated for the future, San Diego–area residents can currently slake their thirst fresh juicy, citrusy IPAs such as the Pupil and Apprentice, as well as the crisp and fruity Harlot Belgian pale ale ale.—Josh BernsteinTry this: The hazy Pupil, a gloriously tropical, citrusy IPA that ranks right up there with the best in the state.

Crux Fermentation Project

Location: Bend, OR
Founded: 2012
Website:cruxfermentation.com
Not to content to rest on his laurels, legendary Deschutes brewmaster Larry Sidor (he created the cultishly beloved Abyss and Hop Trip) left the brewery at the end of 2011 to found Crux, which is housed in a former transmission shop. In the tasting room, Sidor demonstrates his encyclopedic command of styles ranging from a crisp, refreshing German pilsner to a strong and strapping Belgian dark ale and a Flanders Red. Crux is yet another reason why Bend is central Oregon’s brewing capital.
Try this: On The Fence NWPA, which tiptoes the fine line between an IPA and pale ale, with citrusy Centennial and tropical Citra hops steering the flavor and aroma.

Peekskill Brewery

Location: Peekskill, NY
Founded: 2008
Website:peekskillbrewery.com
New Yorkers were already keen on Jeff O'Neill during his stint as brewer at Ithaca Beer Company, but when he was given free rein of Peekskill's brand new facility in January 2013, he and his team raised the bar for East Coast beer. In addition to the four-story brewpub (just steps from a New York City commuter rail station and the Hudson River), Peekskill boasts one of only a handful of coolships in the nation. The aggressive IPAs are popular here, but the wonder of wild fermentation is going to let Peekskill make a permanent mark on America's beer scene.—Chris O'LearyTry this: the Simple Sour—a sessionable sour ale brewed with wheat and corn—is just a taste of O'Neill's depth as a brewer.

Foolproof Brewing Company

Location: Pawtucket, RI
Founded: 2013
Website: foolproofbrewing.com
It says a lot about a brewery when it adds three new fermentation tanks just a few months after opening to keep up with demand. Foolproof is quickly becoming a craft beer success story in a state not exactly known for craft beer—or success stories, for that matter. Its brewer, Damase Olsson, has a history of making good New England brews at the now-defunct but much-beloved Pennichuck in Milford, NH, which shuttered in 2009. Now, with sleek branding, a canning line, and small yet diverse lineup of beers, Olsson and Foolproof are poised to do great things. Already, they've doubled their capacity and expanded distribution into Massachusetts, and they're still closer to their birth date than their first birthday.—Chris O'LearyTry this: La Ferme Urbaine, the latest small-batch release, is a farmhouse ale made in collaboration from a nearby urban farm.

Night Shift Brewing

Location: Everett, MA
Founded: 2012
Website:nightshiftbrewing.com
Sometimes, homebrew doesn't translate well into commercial beer. But the three friends who started Night Shift are out to change that perception. They opened a nanobrewery last year to rave reviews, thanks in part to some pretty unusual ingredients. The offbeat approach shines through in their two year-round beers: Viva Habanera uses rye, agave nectar, and habanero peppers, and Trifecta is a Belgian pale ale aged on vanilla beans. Knowing that inconsistencies are a fact of life as homebrewers, they log tasting notes from each of their 3 1/2-barrel batches on their website.—Chris O'LearyTry this: The Somer Weisse, named for nearby Somerville, where the brewery has its homebrewing roots, is a sour ale brewed with lemongrass and ginger root.

Maine Beer Company

Location: Freeport, ME
Founded: 2009
Website:mainebeercompany.com
You may have already heard of Maine Beer Company - their beers have been sold throughout the Northeast for a couple years now. But on the heels of a move to a new, larger location in a town better known for L.L. Bean's outdoor gear than its beer scene, Maine is positioning itself to become a major craft beer player in New England. Despite the hoopla, they're still sticking to their roots of preaching beer freshness and a "do what's right" manta of corporate responsibility. And the near-doubling of their capacity in the space means more of the hoppy American ales they've become known for.—Chris O'LearyTry this: The Lunch IPA, a citrusy, piney East Coast take on a West Coast IPA.

Two Roads Brewing

Location: Stratford, CT
Founded: 2012
Website:tworoadsbrewing.com
When brewer Phil Markowski left Southampton to start Two Roads, New York's loss became Connecticut's gain. The brewery hasn't reached its first birthday and it's already winning acclaim from beer geeks for straightforward beers like the Road to Ruin IPA and Ol' Factory Pils, named for the brewery's location in a hundred-year old factory. That massive space allows Two Roads to generously offer up their brewhouse for gypsy brewing; Stillwater's Brian Strumke is already making use of the space to expand his own offerings.—Chris O'LearyTry this: Worker's Comp Saison can't be missed; after all, Markowski literally wrote the book on farmhouse ales.

Oxbow Brewing Company

Location: Newcastle, ME
Founded: 2011
Website:oxbowbeer.com
"Loud beers from a quiet place" is the slogan of this brewery specializing in farmhouse ales, appropriately located in a renovated barn inland from Maine's Mid Coast. The beers have won acclaim and attention from people like Greg Jasgur of Pizza Paradiso and Sam Fritz of Meridian Pint, beer directors at DC bars who collaborated on a recent brew with Maine native son and head brewer Tim Adams. Aside from their impressive Belgian, sours, and barrel-aged offerings, the brewery's "Freestyle Series" keeps things interesting and unusual, with such one-offs as a "Maibock inspired" saison, or a Blonde Saison brewed with German Hersbrucker hops.—Chris O'LearyTry this: Space Cowboy Country Ale is an easy-drinking session brew that blends English-style maltiness with subtle, Belgian-style funkiness.

Eagle Rock Brewery

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Founded: 2009
Website:eaglerockbrewery.com
Eagle Rock’s brewmaster Jeremy Raub started brewing with his father at the ripe age of 18. Fifteen years later, the father-and-son team opened a brewery in Eagle Rock, helping to propel L.A.’s burgeoning craft-beer scene. Raub has upheld tight quality control standards for his operation, preferring not to ship his suds outside of Southern California to ensure ultimate freshness. This might be a clue as to why Eagle Rock isn’t a national household name just yet, since its beers are some of the finest drinkable, sessionable ales coming out of the Golden State. Eagle Rock bottles only four of its brews year-round: Solidarity black mild ale, Manifesto witbier, Revolution XPA, and Populist IPA. For now, you’ll have to make your way to the brewery’s tasting room to sample all of the limited-edition, tap-only offerings.
Try this: Yearling, an American sour ale in the Flanders Red style; it's aged in wine barrels for a year.

Ladyface Ale Companie

Location: Agoura Hills, CA
Founded: 2009
Website:ladyfaceale.com
This three-year-old operation, nestled at the base of Ladyface Mountain, was started by avid homebrewer, artist, and stay-at-home mom, Cyrena Nouzille. Ladyface has been undeniably instrumental in helping L.A. assert its presence in the brewing world, which earned it the title of “Best Brewery” by L.A. Weekly in 2012. Brewmaster Dave Griffith offers a full spectrum of beer styles, ranging from the Chaparral Saison, a golden farmhouse-style ale brewed with sage honey, to the Ladyface IPA, a moderately-hopped IPA with West Coast flavors. The overall theme at Ladyface is Belgian-inspired, with spins on traditional West Coast styles creeping into the mix as well.—Erin MosbaughTry this: Trois Filles Tripel, a Belgian-style Tripel with spice and fruit, supported by a soft malt character.

Westbrook Brewing

Location: Mount Pleasant, SC
Founded: 2010
Website:westbrookbrewing.com
In case you didn't know, Charleston is a fine beer town, and Westbrook has quickly established itself as a local favorite with its diverse lineup of brews, from the well-balanced IPA (now in handsome cans) to lesser-seen styles like a gose, flavored with coriander and salt. The brewery recently started distributing in NYC, and its making plenty of beer nerds think twice about their preconceptions about beer below the Mason-Dixon. With great graphic design and boatloads of creativity, Westbrook could easily become one of the shining stars of the South.—Chris SchonbergerTry this: The White Thai lends a Belgian-style witbier some Southeast Asia flavor with the addition of fresh lemongrass, ginger root, and lemony Sorachi Ace hops.

Bluejacket

Location: Washington, D.C.
Founded: Coming Summer 2013
Website:bluejacketdc.com
Though it hasn't opened just yet, Bluejacket has all the pieces in place to hit the ground running as one of the country's most innovative and exciting new breweries. Greg Engert—the mastermind behind D.C. beer havens Churchkey and Birch and Barley, as well as a First We Feast contributor—has teamed up with head brewer Megan Parisi to dream up the ultimate Willy Wonka-esque facility, with 19 different fermentation tanks to handle various styles of beer, a full restaurant attached to the production facility, room for off-the-cuff collaborations with visiting brewers (they've already made beers with Cigar City and the Bruery), and much more. Right from the jump, Bluejacket will be a surely be destination for beer obsessives far and wide—not to mention locals looking to grab next-level food and drinks after a Nationals game.
Try this: Honeysuckle Rose—a collaboration with the Brewer's Art in Baltimore—is a biere de garde made with honeysuckle, rose buds, and hibiscus flowers.

Monday Night Brewing

Location: Atlanta, GA
Founded: 2011
Website:mondaynightbrewing.com
What started as an intimate Monday-night Bible study group for Jonathan Baker, Joel Iverson, and Jeff Heck transformed first into a homebrewing club, and then into one of Atlanta's hottest new breweries. After blessing local bars with the revered Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale, hoppy Eye Patch India Pale Ale, and refreshing Fu Man Brew Belgian-style wit, these guys ended their contract brewing with a bang by opening a jaw-dropping, 20,000 square-foot brewery on ATL’s west side and adding seasoned head brewer Adam Bishop to the team. Yep, the “J-Crew” plus Adam continue to live out their slogan: “Weekends are overrated." Look for big things as the new facility kicks into high gear.—Ale SharptonTry this: The Blind Pirate—a well-crafted double IPA at 8.2% ABV and 85 IBUs—is MNB's new sipper and its first brew sold in a bomber, which hop heads will gladly spend their booty on. A limited coffee version is on deck, too.

Burnt Hickory Brewery

Location: Kennesaw, GA
Founded: 2012
Website:burnthickorybrewery.com
Music fanatic, American history buff, and video producer Scott Hedeen may be known for being outspoken and downright wild, but his brewing ingenuity has quickly become his most celebrated attribute. Boundary-pushing brews like the Big Shanty Graham Cracker Imperial Stout and Cannon Dragger double IPA (both adorned by quirky labels) are selling out as soon as the kegs are tapped in pubs throughout Georgia. Hedeen and his seasoned team of brewers throw wild tastings weekly in their recently expanded brewery, based in the once quiet city of Kennesaw—this is a Southeast beer beast to keep an eye on.—Ale SharptonTry this: The Courageous Conductor Red Velvet Cake Porter—do we need to say more? Okay, how about delicious? Look for Scott Hedeen’s rock band-inspired one-and-dones as well, such as the Killdozer barleywine and Corrosion of Conformity imperial American porter.

Mother Earth Brewing

Location: Kinston, NC
Founded: 2008
Website:motherearthbrewing.com
Asheville continues to be affectionately termed the beer capital of the U.S. by numerous aficionados, but Mother Earth Brewing founders Stephen Hill and Trent Mooring—along with brewmaster Josh Brewer—have collectively proved that phenomenal ales and lagers can be concocted on the eastern side of North Carolina. With well-crafted brews such as the tangy Endless River Kölsch and balanced Sisters of the Moon IPA served year-round, plus their two new canned releases—Second Wind pale ale and Sunny Haze German-style hefeweizen—Mother’s presence is expanding throughout surrounding states at a fevered pace.—Ale SharptonTry this: Get Mother Earth’s seasonal and limited releases any way you can. The barrel-aged Tripel Overhead is phenomenal, and Silent Night is one of the best imperial stouts in the country right now.

DC Brau Brewing Company

Location: Washington, D.C.
Founded: 2009
Website:dcbrau.com
Washington D.C.’s beer scene is burgeoning rapidly, and inner-city brewing king D.C. Brau has a lot to do with it. “Washington DC’s first packaging brewery since 1956” was established by owners Brandon Skall and Jeff Hancock in 2009, and the move to cans has helped them expand their reach considerably in the past year. Skall’s invaluable sales know-how and Hancock’s brewing experience (including a stint with Flying Dog) have made major noise throughout the Capital; their award-winning cold ones include the Corruption IPA, The Citizen Belgian-style Ale, and their highest ballot earner, The Public Pale Ale. Having expanded from 5,000 barrels annually to more than 12,000, DC Brau has had no problem getting surrounding states like Maryland and Virginia to join its brew party. —Ale SharptonTry this: Look out for DC Brau’s collaborations will fellow craft breweries throughout the U.S., including Colorado’s Ska Brewing, Epic Brewing out of Utah, and gypsy brewer Stillwater Artisanal Ales, to name a few.

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Location: Richmond, VA
Founded: 2011
Website:hardywood.com
After their first sip of homebrewed amber at a sheep station in Australia called Hardywood Park, Eric McKay and Patrick Murtaugh had an epiphany: They wanted their own craft brewery back in the States. Combining their strengths—Eric is a renowned beer tech entrepreneur and Cicerone, while Patrick is a certified Master Brewer with extensive experience in Chicago, New York, and Germany—they set up shop in Richmond during the fall of 2011, and have wowed even the most discerning palates with excellent product ever since. Their extensive list of ales—including the flagship Belgian Abbey-style Blonde Ale called Singel and the dry-hopped Hoplar Imperial IPA, conditioned in local Virginia Tulip Poplar wood—is primed to develop a following outside the local scene. A special shout out goes to their outstanding brewer Rachael Cardwell, who proves that making great beer is not a gender thing.—Ale SharptonTry this: Hardywood’s critically acclaimed Reserve Series boasts imperial stouts that don’t shy away from eccentric ingredients. Cop the Chocolate Heat double chocolate milk stout, brewed with cacao nibs, local scotch bonnet and habanero peppers, as well as the Gingerbread Stout, featuring fresh ginger and honey. Gangster!

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